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Brenda Matheny
Brenda Matheny I purchased my first Newfoundland, Hilda, in 1994 and thus began a passion which continues still. I subsequently joined the Old West Newfoundland Club and the NCA as well. Over the years, I have served as my regional club’s secretary, treasurer, and president. I have chaired or served on numerous draft test committees, participated in water trials and committees, stewarded at many events, and served as a volunteer when needed. In October, 2004, I judged Sweepstakes at the NCNC regional in California, an experience I truly enjoyed. In the 12 years since I got my first Newfoundland, I have attended 8 National Specialties, and have only missed a National for compelling reasons (an old dog needing care, or a litter of puppies on the ground). My second Newfoundland became my first VN, trained to his titles by me. In 1997, I bred my first litter and continue to breed under the “Brenrich�? kennel name. I have had some success in the show ring, owner-handling my dogs to their championships, and achieving my first ROM this past year with CH. Brenrich’s Sunvalley McLaurin, ROM, DD, OFA. By profession, I am an educator (BA-UNCC, MA-University of Texas - Austin). Currently, I serve as chairperson of the TBSI (Texas Behavior Support Institute) committee for my school. I’ve held that position for 3 years, during which time our school’s status has gone from failing to meet AYP (adequate yearly progress under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) to achieving Recognized Status this year. My committee is responsible for initiating reforms, instituting new systems, monitoring and evaluating data, and working with staff and administrators to support positive changes and new initiatives at our school. I am skilled at committee work and enjoy it. If I am elected to the NCA Board, I will serve enthusiastically and wholeheartedly. TWO ISSUES FACING NCA: The two most critical - and interrelated - problems facing the NCA and the Newfoundland breed in my opinion are health problems in the breed and the proliferation of commercial/puppy mill/backyard breeders. As of this writing, a google search on “Newfoundland puppy�? will bring up 528,000 search results. Not all of those are breeders, but a frightening number of them are and not very many of them are familiar names, nor are they NCA members. Although I think reputable breeders who health-test their stock continue to make progress on health problems (hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, SAS and other heart issues, etc), it is possible to breed two dogs who have health clearances and still produce a problem. For the breeder and the puppy owner, it is very frustrating, tragic and costly. Since we rarely have the good fortune to deal with a simple recessive problem (in our breed, most of the major health issues are polygenetic and modes of inheritance aren't completely understood), I think it is imperative that the NCA continue to support and fund research projects on breed-specific health problems, as well as to encourage breeders to test the dogs they breed. As for the increase in John Doe breeders out there, I think the NCA website ought to be one of the first entries that come up on a search list. The NCA website is wealth of information, a powerful advocate for the breed, and most importantly, an educational resource. If the newlyinterested potential puppy owner were to access the NCA website first before perusing the thousands of Newfoundland websites that exist now, that person might be better equipped to make an informed decision about where to purchase her first Newfoundland. The NCA would obviously have to pay to get a preferential listing on Google; it's worth investigating how to position the NCA website more prominently in the public eye. That won't solve the problem of backyard breeders or commercial outfits churning out sad Newfoundlands. Honestly, I don't know how to solve that problem. I think education is key -- of the general public and perhaps of the breeders themselves. It may be a never-ending battle, but for the love of this breed, we have to try. There is nothing in this world quite like a beautiful, healthy, well-bred Newfoundland. And there is nothing sadder than a poorly-bred, neglected, unhealthy Newfoundland whose life means nothing to the farmer who uses that dog to create "product". It's all about the Newfoundland dog. I love our breed passionately and I am committed to doing my part to protect the Newfoundland.